Saturday, November 8, 2014

More Than a Trend? Women of All Sizes on the New York Fashion Week Runways




Dimension has long been a topic of controversy on the runways. Each fashion week brings brand new initiatives for healthy eating, promises to move away from a size zero small sample, and little follow through when it comes to actually showing diversity of size (not to say color) on the catwalk. Sure, some designers have used plus-size models on their runways and the headlines follow-but then, so does the inevitable return to models-as-hangers. But since not just one, but two designers have sent women of all sizes down the runway only two days into fashion week, with very little fanfare, could the trend lastly be becoming the norm?

"I feel like for the last few years, things have been changing in short order, " says Denise Bidot, the Puerto Rican/Kuwaiti plus model who opened up Chromat’s show on Wednesday. "But still, there was this lack of incorporating [plus-size models] with the industry-type models and within the fashion week occasions. And, I felt like this year just set the bar so high. Finally, it had been exactly what we’ve been begging the industry to do, which is just to stay a part of this. We want to be high fashion. We want to wear these pieces and walk these types of catwalks. There shouldn’t be barriers as far as what we’re allowed to do. Therefore it’s really refreshing to see something changing and to be a part of it and to maintain the forefront of it. It was just amazing. I feel like our industry is actually finally taking notice and it was a really big step forward. "

And the business did take notice. People have been responding on social media, reposting the images and providing kudos on Instagram and Twitter, which, Bidot says, is exactly what the creative designers need to see. "I think they’re waiting for responses to see how the audience responds, and I think they’ve had wonderful feedback. Everyone just seems so excited to find out different body types and something different. I’m really hoping that it continues since it was really awesome to be a part of it and me, myself, being a curvy woman, it was neat to look at a runway show and say, 'Hey, I can understand this. We can get this off of the runway. We finally have the ability to be as fashionable because everyone else. '"



That feeling of seeing clothes that anybody can wear-not just figures that resemble the size zero silhouettes we’ve developed accustomed to seeing next season's wares presented on-is a powerful one, and one which everyone should experience, Bidot says. "I grew up in a generation where I truly had no one to admire and say, 'Oh, that looks like me as well as she’s successful and she’s smart, '" she explains. "Nobody is perfect. Therefore for designers then to be taking chances on curvy women and not stating, 'Oh, you have to be this size to model for us' is really opening the doorway. It sets a younger generation up to feel confident-to feel powerful and also to know that anything is possible regardless of your size. It’s just setting a standard associated with confidence, I think. "


Leather accessories designer Zana Bayne, whose sexy harnesses have been worn by everyone from Lady Gaga in order to Beyoncé to Gwyneth Paltrow, has always made a point to "accommodate each and every size under the sun, since the beginning. " So for her New York fashion week runway debut, it only made sense to use models of all shapes and sizes-even moms and babies. "I loved the idea of just representing women: someone having a flat chest, someone with a full bust, curves, no curves, " states Bayne. "I just wanted to showcase a variety of gorgeous girls. Even with my ending model, who is a mother, it was important to showcase that archetype as well. It can about celebrating all women. "

Part of the reason Bayne used such a varied cast was because she knew her fans wanted to see women which looked like them. "There's one shoot that Olivier Zahm did with [plus-size model] Tara Lynne [wearing Zana Bayne] with regard to L'Officiel Homme and whenever I show people photos of that or article it online-I got such an insane response, people loved seeing a larger figure in [the] harnesses-so it was a bit inspired by the people who the actual brand. The most important thing for me when figuring out the casting was a seamless integration of most types of models. It wasn't political or making a statement like 'Everyone must do this'-I just want a cohesive collection to showcase on different bodies. "


"I think that there are a lot of beautiful girls out there in our industry who are really having a stand and being advocates for happiness and size diversity, and so the people are also very vocal, " says Bidot. "Social media has pushed these creative designers to make these moves because they want it, and they’re demanding it. So , I really hope to see higher end brands start the intention because of the market they’re missing out on. I believe it’s a shame. I would hope that they just continue and it would morph in to more and more things happening for [plus-size models]. We’ll just have to wait and find out it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. "

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